With the many changes to immigration rules in Australia this year so far, including reduced options for General Skilled Migration, and priority processing for employer sponsorship visas, it is no wonder that more and more people are turning to the sponsorship option for migrating to Australia. Even those people who still qualify for General Skilled Migration are looking to job sponsorship option, as it may cut up to 2+ years off their migration process.
“How do you find a company in Australia that is willing to sponsor you”, you ask? The answer: along with a few key actions, finding job sponsorship in Australia comes with a lot of persistence and patience.
We have gathered key tips from overseas nationals from South Africa, UK, Canada and Singapore who have successfully secured sponsored positions in Australia and are already living and working in Australia, or are in the process of migrating to Australia to start their new job. The top tips from these successful migrants are set out below.
Prepare an Australian CV
If you are not from Australia, it is likely that your idea of what an Australian employer expects in regards to your resume, is unclear. Most people from overseas expect that their resume from their home country will be sufficient for applying for jobs in Australia. This is generally not the case, particularly for people who are from the UK, Canada, South Africa and Asia, who are wanting to find a sponsored job in Australia.
For example:
- Canadian resumes are too short and do not have enough information for Australian employers to be convinced of your suitable background
- UK resumes are usually shorter than Australian resumes and not as impactful as they could be to be attractive for sponsorship
- South African resumes tend to be too long, including too much unnecessary information and not enough required information
- Asian resumes also tend to include too much unnecessary information and not enough required information
There are several free Australian CV assessment tools out there, if you do a Google search, whereby you can have your CV assessed and uncover what you need to do to bring your CV up to Australian standards so you can be more competitive when applying for jobs in Australia. Nab That Job in Australia! offers a free online CV assessment to help you determine the status of your CV and offers free tips on how to improve your CV. Click here to use the free CV Assessment tool now.
Do not make the mistake of underestimating the power of your CV when applying for job sponsorship in Australia. Clients who had been searching for job sponsorship in Australia with now luck previously have seen their luck change dramatically simply through creating a high impact Australian CV. A South African national who is now happily living and working in Perth in her new sponsored role, changed just this one aspect of her job search (her CV), and this landed her a sponsored job offer shortly after.
If you are the type of person who prefers to do things yourself and learn how it is done, rather than engage a professional Australian resume writer, or Emigration Job Search Strategist, you could try seeking out Australian CV templates so that you know the right kind of template to use for your Australian CV. You can also pick up DIY Australian resume books and eguides that will step you through the process of writing a competitive resume for Australia. Be sure to select a book that comes with a selection of Australian resume templates for you to choose from, so you know the exact format to write your CV, such as CVs for Job Sponsorship in Australia, which comes with 14 templates for you to choose from. Resume Australia also sells individual high-impact Australian templates from AU$7 each, and you can make your selection by occupation or industry.
If you decide to go with an Australian resume writer, be sure to select a writer who is experienced working with emigrants to Australia, and who has a track record of successfully assisting their clients to find sponsored employment in Australia. Nab That Job in Australia! has been working with job placement in Australia for several years, and has successfully placed clients in jobs in Australia from UK, South Africa, Canada, India, Singapore and many other countries. You can make an enquiry with the professional consultants at Nab That Job in Australia! by clicking here and sending through your CV for an initial assessment and their recommendations. Alternatively, you can start with their free CV Assessment Tool, as mentioned above.
Prepare Your Australian Cover Letter
Not as significant as your CV, but still relatively important – you should take care when writing your cover letter for Australia, particularly when seeking job sponsorship in Australia.
Again, you can hire an Australian Emigration Job Search Strategist or Australian Resume Writer to professionally write your Australian cover letter for you, or you could go for a DIY option, once again.
If you decide to do it yourself, try doing a Google search on “free Australian cover letter writing tips”, and you are sure to many websites providing free tips and guidance for writing your own Australian cover letter. Nab That Job in Australia! offers free Australian cover letter writing tips for you, here.
You can also Google search “free Australian cover letter templates”, so you can access some templates that will ensure you’re on the write track with your Australian cover letter. Resume Australia offers free complimenting cover letter templates when you purchase their competitive Australian resume templates from AU$7 – which is really great value.
One thing you should keep in mind when writing your Australian cover letter is to ensure the formatting and layout is consistent with your Australian resume template. An easy way to do this is to find a website that offers Australian resume templates with an Australian cover letter template (such as Resume Australia). Again, search engines are useful for locating websites where you can download Australian resume templates and Australian cover letter templates for your use.
Another point to keep in mind when writing a cover letter for applying for job sponsorship in Australia is to play down your requirement for job sponsorship so that the employer can review your skills and experience with an open mind.
Applying For Jobs in Australia
Once you have your resume and cover letter “Australianised”, you will likely notice a significant change in your job search efforts, especially if you have selected a high-impact, competitive Australian template for your resume and cover letter.
A South African couple who are currently still in South Africa applying for jobs in Australia, reported a marked change in the reaction from Australian employers, after having their resumes rewritten into a competitive Australian format:
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“On the job front things are heating up! Since using the (Australian) resume…I have attracted much attention and done some telephonic interviews. Coming Monday I’m doing an interview with the top brass of a very upmarket hotel setup in NSW – prospects are looking excellent.”
We were contacted a couple of days later by this very client to advise the exciting news that he had been offered the position and will be migrating to Australia in less than three weeks!
An emigrant from Singapore reported that he had been applying for jobs in Australia from Singapore for three years with no positive responses. However, after simply changing his CV and cover letter into a high-impact, Australian format, he finally started receiving telephone interviews, and eventually, a job offer.
Applying for jobs in Australia is not as easy as it sounds, particularly if you are applying from overseas, and especially if you are seeking job sponsorship. This is even true if you do have a competitive Australian CV.
If you have been hunting for jobs in Australia, you will no doubt have discovered that the majority of jobs advertised on job search websites in Australia are advertised by Australian recruitment agencies. Unfortunately, in Australia, recruitment agencies are in most cases, unable to assist overseas nationals find employment in Australia, as they are required to meet with you in person before they can forward your CV on to their Australian clients.
Do not let this deter you from applying for jobs through recruitment agencies, as some clients have had some success by connecting with the right people at the right time. However, you also should do not rely on seeking a sponsor in Australia only through job search websites. Instead, you should focus the majority of your attention on the ‘hidden job market’ in Australia – this is where you are most likely to find success when applying for sponsored jobs in Australia.
Hidden Job Market in Australia
The ‘hidden job market’ is a term that is thrown around quite loosely, and some experts believe that this mysterious job market holds more than 70% of all job vacancies in Australia. Many recruitment agencies in Australia may argue that this is not true, however, do you really want to take the risk believing that it isn’t true, and miss out on a potential hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in Australia?
If your answer is no, then you need to do some research on the hidden job market in Australia, and how you can tap into it to your greatest advantage. After all, if these potential 70%+ jobs are not advertised, where are they, and how can you find them?
Some ways to best tap into the hidden job market in Australia include:
- Networking
- Researching
- Marketing
Networking is an extremely effective job search tool whereby you leverage your job search by having as many people as possible looking for jobs for you. This means telling everyone you know what you’re looking for and engaging their assistance, and consistently expanding your networks so as to continually increase the number of people helping you to find a job in Australia. Networking can, and should, be done both online and offline, and it is highly recommended that you do further research into how to effectively network so you can become a networking expert, and use this job search tool as effectively as possible.
‘Researching‘ and ‘Marketing‘ are inter-related, and involve you identifying companies in Australia whom you would like to work for, in the areas of Australia you would like to live, and applying to these companies directly. You do not need to wait for a job opening before applying to the company - this is the secret to success. If you apply for a job before it is available, you will be one of the first people that the company considers when the job does become available, and the company therefore may not need to advertise the vacancy. We recommend sending your CV out to as many suitable companies as possible, and remember to follow up with these companies so they do not forget about you.
As part of Nab That Job in Australia’s Tailored Australian Job Search Strategy service, they identify up to 100+ Australian companies who match your background and actively market your CV to these companies with their highest recommendation for interview. Using an Australian Emigration Job Search Strategist to approach Australian companies on your behalf uses the power of third party recommendation, and can sometimes be more effective than applying to the companies directly yourself.
A Graphic Designer from South Africa, who was over the age limit for applying for General Skilled Migration (45+), took the job search into her own hands and set out on a mission to find an employer who was willing to sponsor her. After approaching hundreds of companies directly as well as some key recruitment agencies, she finally received a job offer and is now enjoying her new life in Sydney.
A Senior Landscape Designer from the UK will be making his move to Australia in 1-2 month’s time, after spending 2-3 months solid applying for jobs using the hidden job market in Australia. After receiving three offers (one within a week or two of accessing the hidden job market through Nab That Job in Australia’s Australian Job Search Package), he finally made his choice in Perth, and is very excited about starting his new life in Australia with his wife. This client attributes his success to Nab That Job in Australia’s services, and support throughout his job search.
Job Sponsorship Strategy For Success
A powerful Australian job search strategy will combine the ‘Main Stream’ job search strategy (applying for jobs through job search websites) with the ‘Hidden Job Market’ job search strategy.
A Canadian Interior Designer engaged Nab That Job in Australia! to create a Tailored Australian Job Search Strategy for Australia for him (as well as a high-impact Australian CV and cover letter), and found results within two to three months of implementing his strategy, which combined both main stream and hidden job market strategies specific to his background and experience. Although he applied to many companies directly, his success was found through applying for a job that was advertised by the company on an Australian job search website. He attended an interview during a visit to Australia, and the company was impressed with him, however, he did not feel the job was a 100% fit for him.
A couple of months later, this client was approached by the company again for another role that had become available, that the company wished to sponsor him for to fulfill the role. He has happily accepted the position, and is now going through the migration process and planning to make his move to Australia later this year.
As mentioned, utilising both a main stream and hidden job market strategy will increase your opportunities for sponsorship in Australia, and a high-impact, competitive Australian resume and cover letter is instrumental to gaining the all-important interview with Australian employers. However, the number one tip from those people who have been successful in finding an Australian employer to sponsor them, that will ensure your success, is to apply persistence and patience to your Australian job sponsorship search, continually working at it, never giving up until you have reached your goal.
